It's certainly possible to do better than raw X11 across the network. Other folks mentioned VLC, RDP, and NX too. I assume these protocols reduce bandwidth usag

It's certainly possible to do better than raw X11 across the network. Other folks mentioned VLC, RDP, and NX too. I assume these protocols reduce bandwidth usage by compression. Sometimes you can even do prediction (as with mosh for ttys or Stadia for games). The best is always going to be to use a local copy of the logic and data needed most frequently/immediately. E.g. in the VS Code example, they keep the buffer you're editing locally, the logic for cursor movements, the errors you're flipping through, and maybe even some precached autocompletion/highlight stuff. You don't have to wait for a round trip to see your keystrokes show up. That's the advantage of splitting the system in the right place.